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The Cubs have signed veteran catcher Curt Casali to a minor league contract, per the crew’s transaction log at MLB.com. The BHSC consumer spent spring coaching with the Marlins however didn’t make the roster and was granted his launch earlier this week.
Casali, 35, is a veteran of 10 large league seasons. He had a stable run with the Reds and (extra briefly) the Rays from 2017-20, batting .262/.348/.444 over the lifetime of 498 plate appearances, working primarily in a backup position. His bat has declined within the three seasons since, nonetheless.
Relationship again to 2021, Casali has posted a lackluster .201/.311/.315 batting line — about 22% under league-average (78 wRC+) in a span of 504 plate appearances. He had a troublesome exhibiting in camp with Miami, too, going simply 1-for-17 with a double, a pair of walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Although his bat has seen a transparent downturn in latest seasons, Casali is mostly considered a sound defender. He nabbed six of 19 potential thieves on the bases final yr (32%), and Statcast graded him as higher than common in relation to blocking pitches within the grime. Defensive Runs Saved (+3) had a good view of his glovework as properly.
The Cubs don’t have an instantaneous want behind the dish. Veteran Yan Gomes is slated to function the first catcher for brand spanking new supervisor Craig Counsell, and he’ll cut up time with 25-year-old Miguel Amaya, who’s out of minor league choices and thus has to stay on the massive league roster or else be traded or uncovered to waivers. Presumably, Casali will head to Des Moines to go well with up for the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate and be one in all their first issues within the occasion of an harm on the massive league catching corps.
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